1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an equipment control system for controlling an equipment group comprising a plurality of units and, more particularly, to an equipment control system for controlling equipment such as refrigeration facilities and air conditioning equipment that affect room temperature.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is common for retail outlets selling food like supermarkets or convenience stores to have installed therein a plurality of equipment units such as a refrigerator/freezer showcase for cooling articles for sale and air conditioning equipment for managing indoor air conditions. In this background, technologies have been proposed for managing a plurality of equipment units installed in a shop. For example, JP 2001-182987 proposes a technology for managing various equipment units such as a refrigerator/freezer showcase, an air conditioner and lighting equipment installed in a shop.
With efforts being actively pursued in recent years towards energy conservation by saving energy (hereinafter, referred to as energy saving), it is expected that a new technology be proposed for achieving energy saving in food outlets. In this background, energy saving measures have been taken for individual equipment units in, for example, shops in which a plurality of equipment units affecting room temperature are installed, However, few proposals have been made of technologies for achieving energy saving, allowing for overall operating status of the equipment.
In a system in which given equipment is controlled, allowing for the operating status of other equipment, a malfunction such as a failure in a single equipment unit may affect the way other equipment units are controlled. In such a system, a malfunction in a single equipment unit may incur a situation in which the operation of the entirety of equipment is suspended.